Chapter 2 of The Strength of the Pines is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter II
Chapter 2 of The Strength of the Pines is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"How long ago was this?" "Week ago Tuesday." "And why have you been so long in telling me?" When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly. They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
Chapter 2 of The Strength of the Pines is here in full — 416 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
plural of “answer” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.”
indistinct or hazy in outline
From this reading “They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.”
a person who is in charge
From this reading “When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.”
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading “They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.”
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading “When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.”
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading “They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.”
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading “"And why have you been so long in telling me?"”
the third day of the week; the second working day
From this reading “"Week ago Tuesday."”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
in the past
From this reading "How long ago was this?"
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And why have you been so long in telling me?"
plural of “answer” — a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "And why have you been so long in telling me?"
indistinct or hazy in outline
From this reading They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.
a person who is in charge
From this reading When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "And why have you been so long in telling me?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "How long ago was this?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "And why have you been so long in telling me?"
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading "How long ago was this?"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "And why have you been so long in telling me?"
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
plural of “question” — an instance of questioning
From this reading When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.
with speed
From this reading When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "And why have you been so long in telling me?"
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading "And why have you been so long in telling me?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "How long ago was this?"
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading They rolled so fast from the mouth that they blurred and ran together.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.
the third day of the week; the second working day
From this reading "Week ago Tuesday."
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "How long ago was this?"
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading "Week ago Tuesday."
at the time that
From this reading When Dave's chief asked questions in this tone, answers always came quickly.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading "And why have you been so long in telling me?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "And why have you been so long in telling me?"
Chapter 2 of The Strength of the Pines by Edison Marshall holds 416 sentences, grouped into 84 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 2 holds 416 sentences of The Strength of the Pines, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 2 of The Strength of the Pines by Edison Marshall exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 416 sentences, grouped into 84 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 2 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Strength of the Pines by Edison Marshall on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5323 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35378 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #35378, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 443 minutes of reading across 1065 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Strength of the Pines section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 13 chapters of The Strength of the Pines to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Strength of the Pines, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
